Naughty Dog has just announced that the studio’s long-time Creative Director, Neil Druckmann, has  been promoted to Vice President of Naughty Dog. Druckmann joined Naughty Dog back in 2004, starting out as a programming intern. Check out Naughty Dog’s official announcement below:

“In recognition of his expanded role, contributing on critical, studio level decisions, Neil Druckmann is now Vice President of Naughty Dog. He’s been a vital part of the management team for some time now, and we’re proud to formally acknowledge his involvement. In addition to his new position, Neil will continue as the Creative Director on The Last of Us Part II." 

After 14 years since Druckmann first joined Naughty Dog, he was responsible for several projects such as designing and writing games in the Uncharted and Last of Us series, which are integral titles for the company. Furthermore, Druckmann  was also involved as a programmer in several titles in the Jak and Daxter franchise. Although Druckmann is now the studio’s Vice President, he will still retain his position as the Creative Director of the highly anticipated The Last of Us Part II, which still has no release date. 

In addition to Druckmann’s promotion, Naughty Dog also announced that Anthony Newman and Kirt Margenau will be the joint Game Directors on The Last of Us Part II. Lastly, Emilia Schatz and Richard Cambier will serve as the game’s Lead Designers. 

The Last of Us Part II is still in development for the PlayStation 4. You can check out the latest trailer of the upcoming sequel to the highly acclaimed survival horror game below.